Santa Cruz's
Carnival
is one of Europe's most
vibrant and colourful
festivals. Every year
proceedings aim to outstrip
the efforts of the year
before, so much so that in
recent years up to 280,000
people - from all over the
world and particularly South
America - have been dancing in
the streets at peak times
during the celebrations.
Though originally following
the religious calendar, the
event has now extended deep
into Lent itself. Each night
the Plaza de España and
surrounding streets fill with
revellers from around the
island, dancing to vibrant
salsa beats from bands
performing on various stages,
or to various pop and rock
tunes pumping out of the
hundreds of kiosks lining the
street. The party is at its
height from 11pm until dawn
and is particularly
well-attended at weekends.
Fancy dress is almost
compulsory for all who attend,
and many will dress in the
annual theme.
The highlight of the week
is the Grand Procession
on Shrove Tuesday - a
cavalcade of floats, bands,
dancers and entertainers, who
march and dance their way
along the dockside road. Also
popular is the ironically
comical Burial of the
Sardine on Ash Wednesday,
when the effigy of a
ridiculously large sardine is
burnt before an entourage of
wailing widows. Many
participants get into the
spirit of the event by
dressing in mourning clothes.
Traditionally, the sardine's
cremation, followed by
fireworks and a huge open-air
ball should signify the last
day of the carnival, and the
beginning of Lent, but this
carnival now comes to its
climactic end the following
weekend - at which point
smaller towns around the
island often start their own
carnivals.
For the latest on the
current year's carnival
preparations and plans check www.carnavaltenerife.com
.
